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Welcome to Woodcraft School

We offer expert training in wildlife tracking, trailing, ethnobotany, natural history and wilderness skills. Our aim is to help people become skilled observers of the natural world, developing the knowledge, awareness and practical competence needed to understand animals, plants and landscapes in depth. Through tracking, plant knowledge, traditional skills and landscape interpretation, students learn to move beyond simply visiting wild places and begin to feel genuinely at home within them.

John Rhyder is a professional wildlife tracker, naturalist and woodsman who has been teaching since 1994 and delivering courses through Woodcraft School since 2000. He specialises in wildlife tracking and is an evaluator for both track and sign and trailing, representing CyberTracker standards in Europe.

His teaching draws together wildlife tracking, ethnobotany, wilderness skills and natural history to help students build a broad and practical understanding of the living landscape. Courses are delivered across the UK, Europe and Scandinavia, reflecting a range of northern temperate environments and habitats.

Skills rooted in the past, shaping how we read the land today: ecological fluency through tracking, ethnobotany, and woodcraft.

COURSES

Our woodland camp is set in 250 acres of ancient woodland on a private estate in the South Downs National Park, providing an ideal location for wildlife tracking, bushcraft, and ethnobotany courses. With a three-acre lake, streams, and meadows, students gain hands-on experience in natural history, plant identification, and traditional outdoor skills. Beyond the South Downs, we run tracking programmes and Cybertracker evaluations and wildlife tracking tours across the UK, Ireland and Europe, bringing participants closer to nature in inspiring landscapes.

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Wildlife and Tracking

Understanding our animal world using track and sign identification and following the animals using trailing techniques

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Ethnobotany

Identification of plants, trees and fungi with a deep exploration into wild foods, medicines and bushcraft uses.

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Bushcraft

Covering the traditional outdoor living skills and crafts that are wedded to our region. essential skills for any naturalist

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Just wanted to say how extremely delighted i was with the one week advance bushcraft course. The knowledge and wealth of experience you both have as in instructors where second to none. Every day was a fun and humorous atmosphere. I enjoyed the beautiful location. For what the course offered it was well worth the price. I would highly recommend Woodcraft School. Once again a huge thank you to yourselves and to all the team for accommodating my religious,dietary and physical needs. I could not have expected more…10/10

Ali Aziz

Seriously one of the best workshops and evaluations I have ever been on! Not only did I learn so much, but John’s witty humor and engaging teaching style made the experience thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommend John as an expert guide and educator. Thanks for sharing your expertise, John! It was an awesome week!

Jennifer Draime

Whether you are looking for a wildlife tracker or for a teacher about tracking, you need look no further than John Rhyder. In all respects, John is among the very best. I have seen him find and follow the trails of Fallow, Roe and Red deer, and I have seen him trail to within 35 meters of bedded animals that are unaware of our presence. He is as reliable in his skill at identifying tracks and sign as he is at trailing the animals that left them. In addition, John has taught for many years. He is clear, to the point, expert at managing groups in all conditions, and he is quick witted, funny! I can think of no one with whom I would rather work, track, learn, laugh or share a meal than John Rhyder. I am confident that you will find him a pleasure. 

Nate Harvey: Evaluator, Senior Tracker, CyberTracker Conservation